Children chalking over our land

[Charliec12]

Hi all, am I over reacting? My neighbours brought their children some chalks at the weekend. The children are chalking everywhere with them including on my driveway which we half share with them. My OH said to one of the children tonight that the area looked a mess. Said child started crying and then the Mum came out and was confrontational and annoyed with me that I don’t agree with it looking nice in the area. I also have 2 young children and I get they want to have fun.

Honestly I get that your don't like the look of it but it will wash away in no time and it's not worth getting on bad terms with your neighbours over or being known locally as the horrible family on the road who made a little girl cry over some chalk..

OP, since you're so snarky with all the posters....

It's 'could've' (as in could have) not 'could of' as you put it multiple times.

You're welcome.

@SoupDragon

its the way most children are being being brought up now, they don't get other adults speaking to them, let alone being cross, it does them no good, builds no resilliance at all. It doesn't help with when they go to uni.

A neighbour being a bit grumpy isn't a cause for crying

But it is about teaching children boundaries.

letting children go onto other people’s land to chalk, pick flowers /fruit, ‘borrow items’ is not helping them in the future.

It is our property yes on our deeds so our land. Shared but the deeds show half of it is ours.

Then go and speak to their parents don’t go shouting at other people’s children.

To say what a mess loudly to a group of children who have drawn on our land. I guess he needs anger management classes?

The kids around here sometimes chalk the street (quiet cul-de-sac). It just washes off. It doesn't look bad, it just looks like children have been playing.

Exactly, boundaries are important. If children asked if they could draw in our front garden (its paved and driveway) I'd probably say yes, but mention to their parents it was up to them to check they're safe etc; but if they just took it upon themselves I'd find it disrespectful. I wouldn't rant at children though I'd speak to the parents. It's just the ever growing lack of respect people have for others.

Stop calling a shared driveway "our land". So full of yourself for no reason.

Well, that's not exactly difficult to do. It's a rare day when a small child does not cry about something.

But it’s not a mess. It’s their creativity. It washes away! They might have even enjoyed painting over it with water as a fun activity to clear it away.__
Yes it might have been on your part of the driveway and a quick word with the parents would have been better. But ‘shocked’ and stating ‘what a mess,’ was very unreasonable.

If it's a shared driveway it's not necessarily half yours, it could be co owned between the houses in it's entirety. To know you would need to check the deeds. Possibly it doesn't really belong to either house and good relations when sharing it will be essential. Shared access is a necessary evil sometimes but you do need to appreciate it is shared. I am not sure it's your land.

You're the one who said his voice was shaky with shock though!

Of course all the time but they don’t draw on people’s private areas.

Blink and it rains this summer.
Fret not, it will soon be gone!!

The children are chalking everywhere with them including on my driveway which we half share with them.
We had a shared driveway at our last house, ie we both used it up until it split just by the houses.
Shared means they can use it too, I would have thought.
Even chalk on it.

I should hope not!!
😮

I think maybe having neighbours isn’t for you OP and a move to the country where you can have lots of “land” and no children for your husband to yell at is in order.

.

@C1N1C of course it's not the same as dog shit. Dog shit is toxic, disgusting and won't just wash away in rain. Chalk is only chalk.

It isn't private though. It is shared.

Don’t you think a quiet word with the parents for next time would have sufficed? The chalking was already done so going straight in to have a go at the kids was futile at that point anyway. Sounds like a mean way to have approached it with children.

I should hope not 🤣🤣🤣🤣

😂
Oh OP, chill. We get you're the Landlady of Your Driveway Land!
Anyway surely it has rained by now and it's all gone?
If all fails, get yourself some chalk and write in big letters:
Renters kids! get off my land!

@Butwhybecause i hadn't seen your post before I posted 🤣😢🤣